Twenty-one people were injured in the latest missile barrage targeting central Israel, including a woman in critical condition, one person seriously wounded, three moderately injured, and 16 lightly hurt.
Emergency services are treating two impact sites in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Significant destruction was reported in the Dan region, where several buildings and vehicles sustained heavy damage. Fires broke out at some locations, and rescue teams are conducting searches amid concerns that individuals may be trapped under rubble.
Sirens Across North and Center
Air raid sirens sounded across large parts of northern and central Israel, including Safed, Haifa, Acre, the Krayot, Karmiel, Rosh Pina, Katzrin, Kfar Saba, Holon, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ramat Gan, Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak, Rishon Lezion, Bat Yam, Herzliya and dozens of other communities in the Galilee, Golan Heights, Sharon region and central districts.
The Israel Defense Forces said it is continuing to assess the situation and remains on high alert for additional launches.
IDF: Khamenei and Senior Officials Eliminated
In a special statement, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Efi Defrin said that alongside Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, several senior officials were eliminated in the opening phase of Operation “Roar of the Eagle.”
Among those named was Ali Shamkhani, described as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a close security adviser to Khamenei.
According to the IDF, hundreds of Israeli Air Force fighter jets, operating under precise intelligence guidance, struck hundreds of regime targets across Iran. The operation reportedly began with a surprise attack after Israeli intelligence identified two sites in Tehran where senior Iranian security leaders had convened.
U.S. President Donald Trump told NBC that “the people who make all the decisions — most of them are gone,” adding that the United States believes reports of Khamenei’s death are accurate.
The White House released footage showing Trump monitoring the strikes from the situation room at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Speaking later to ABC, he said numerous Iranian leaders had been eliminated.
A senior U.S. official told Reuters that intelligence indicated Iran was preparing its own “preemptive strike,” prompting Washington to act first to avoid absorbing missile attacks. According to the official, waiting could have resulted in “significantly higher” casualties and damage.
The source added that the administration concluded Tehran had not demonstrated seriousness in negotiations over nuclear restrictions, missile development and support for regional militias. The U.S. had reportedly offered to supply Iran with nuclear fuel for civilian energy “for free and indefinitely,” but Tehran insisted on retaining uranium enrichment capabilities.
Iran Denies Khamenei’s Death
A senior Israeli official confirmed Saturday evening that Khamenei was killed in the initial strike. CNN reported, citing Israeli sources, that Israel possesses photographic evidence of his body and is preparing an official announcement.
Iran has denied the reports, calling them “psychological warfare.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the compound where Khamenei had been staying was destroyed and that “there are many signs that this dictator is also gone.” Shortly afterward, an Israeli official stated that his body had been found.
The Target: Iran’s Longtime Leader
Khamenei, 86, has led Iran since 1989. In recent months, reports suggested he had been operating from a fortified bunker in Tehran following earlier Israeli operations.
Israeli officials describe the strike as the central achievement of the Air Force’s broader “Bereshit” campaign, which involved roughly 200 fighter jets attacking around 500 targets in its opening hours.
Before becoming the supreme leader, Khamenei served in several senior posts following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, including deputy defense minister and Tehran’s Friday prayer leader. In 1981, he survived an assassination attempt that left his right hand paralyzed.
The situation remains fluid, with continued missile fire from Iran and heightened alert across Israel, as international confirmation of the reported eliminations is still pending.
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